Safety Netting Saves Sepp Kuss After Double Crash Ends Tour de France Stage Bid

A pair of late crashes cost Sepp Kuss what looked to be a Tour de France stage victory, but roadside safety netting helped him avert disaster Saturday.

The American climber was alone off the front of stage 20 “queen stage” across the Alps when he crashed twice on the narrow, high-speed descent off the HC Col de Sarenne inside the final 10km.

Kuss avoided a potentially devastating fall in the second spill, with safety netting mounted to a cement barrier appeared to prevent him from tumbling down the steep mountainside (see video below).

“I was trying to maintain the gap to Carapaz. I knew he wasn’t far behind and I was trying to gain as much time as possible on every corner,” Kuss said. “I thought I’d read the right line. Luckily, there were nets. It wasn’t too scary.”

The chasing Richard Carapaz swept past him in the second spill to win the stage, Kuss quickly got back on his bike, but the hopes of a stage victory were gone.

Remco Evenepoel attacked out of the yellow jersey group to pass Kuss near the line, and the Visma-Lease a Bike climber finished third in the epic stage across the French Alps.

Kuss crossed the line with blood streaming from his left elbow in a heartbreaking end to a strong Alpine weekend after finishing fourth atop Alpe d’Huez on Friday.